I fully expect Ashley to win a silver or bronze at Worlds next year. I think she will be motivated to become an even better skater by this. Kostner will defend her title next year though.

Alissa will never come close to making a U.S World team again. She will receive Flatt-like USFSA dumpage next year in the unlikely event she is foolish enough to compete ever again. She can be proud of a fine career though, 2 U.S titles and a GP final victory. The team will be Wagner and Gold unless Gold falters in which case the 2nd spot could go to either Zhang, or one of Nagasu or Agnes if they get their acts together.

Akiko Suzuki won this World Championships, IMO. Her PCS should have been at the level of Kostner's (less on skating skills but higher on others) and she definitely beat Kostner on the jumps in the LP. It was lovely to see Kostner so well composed, though. Very happy for her too.

I fully expect Ashley to win a silver or bronze at Worlds next year. I think she will be motivated to become an even better skater by this. Kostner will defend her title next year though.

Alissa will never come close to making a U.S World team again. She will receive Flatt-like USFSA dumpage next year in the unlikely event she is foolish enough to compete ever again. She can be proud of a fine career though, 2 U.S titles and a GP final victory. The team will be Wagner and Gold unless Gold falters in which case the 2nd spot could go to either Zhang, or one of Nagasu or Agnes if they get their acts together.

Well, Ashley placed 4th in a relatively weak field. Next year, the Russian girls are coming, with Ando and maybe Kim (if she wants to qualify some spots for Korea for the Olympics) returning to competition. Asada is going to leave her past behind, and be more focused (she's a fighter!). Competition is going to be a lot more stiffer, and if there's something I've learned from watching Figure Skating, it's never to count anyone out.

Yu Na won Worlds with 5 triples. She had a lutz but not a loop. Shizuka won the Olympics with 5 triples, too. Totally agree that standards have dropped since Michelle, et al. When Michelle won with 6 triples it was considered one of her "lesser" efforts, technically. And no one has yet met the standard set by Midori over 20 years ago.

but Michelle had no 3T-3T.. Yuka neither..
They got no 3T-3T even in free..

Even Kostner and Leonova did 3T-3T in short.

Last year Ando ,, no 3-3

All podium members in this worlds got 3T-3T in LP this year..

In COP era, Female athletes make many mistakes because they are trying difficult tricks such as 3Lz-3T,
3F-3T, 3loop-3loop, 2A-3T etc.

Since Yamaguch tried 3L-3T in 92 Olympics' Free, Only Few women has succeeded..

Michelle's coach had to take the 3T-3T out of her 1998 Olympics prpogram because Michelle was recovering from a broken foot. She substituted an eight jumping pass (allowed in those days) and still gave a seven triple performance. (3Lz+2T, 3Lo+half-loop+2T, 3F, 2A, 3Lo, 3S, 3Lz, 3T)

In 2002 she attempted 3T+3T, but she two-footed the first jump and could only do a 2T after. (3Lo, 3T+2T, 3Lz+2Lo, 2A, 3F (fall), 3LS, 3Lz)

In all she did 3T+3T successfully 11 times in major competition, including 5 times at the World Championships.

Well, Ashley placed 4th in a relatively weak field. Next year, the Russian girls are coming, with Ando and maybe Kim (if she wants to qualify some spots for Korea for the Olympics) returning to competition. Asada is going to leave her past behind, and be more focused (she's a fighter!). Competition is going to be a lot more stiffer, and if there's something I've learned from watching Figure Skating, it's never to count anyone out.

Hae-Jin Kim is old enough to go to Worlds next year. She can likely place top 10 and get Korea 2 spots for the Olympics. She is a very strong technical skater.

Good to know there's an up-and-comer from Korea. I think that will take a lot of the pressure off YuNa to continue. I'm sure she feels she's past the grueling training regimen, but she might also feel an obligation to her country if she were the only viable Korean skater.

I was there last night and was so happy to see Carolina finally win! The crowd was acting like she's their own favourite daughter- how sweet. For me it was like "Carolina, don't fall, only doubled the second flip that's good. Now don't fall..." lol The program was absolutely beautiful!

Akiko was just so brilliant. I was actually nervous for the European crowd that she would win... She had the best command. And what a beautiful dress!

Leonova--- sorry you're so slow and the final spin looked like a fly could land on you and not move. The gap between the crowd's rather reserved response and hers was quite funny.

These were my second Worlds (after Torino in 2010) and what an emotional evening!

First, I got completely teared up by Alissa's skate, it was hard to watch but the audience were out of this world, trying to cheer her up and to get her through her program.
I did feel a bit like with Mirai in 2010, maybe she should have watered down the program slightly and at least taken out the 3Z of her program?I just wander if something particular is going on, even before the SP, she looked like she had been crying?

I was hoping for Helgesson to do a little bit better but she seemed very nervous!I have no idea why she tried to put in the 3Z (or was it 3F?), had the same feeling about Makarova...trying too much to increase the technical level?

One of my favourite skater this season was Elene Ge and I was looking forward to see her again. She has a phenomenal speed over the ice but she reminds me a bit about Kostner a few seasons ago, too much speed and not enough control.Hopefully, she will stay with Orser and work towards Sochi, she has such a potential and I like her a lot.

What to say about Ashley!Obviously, she had a different type of pressure on her shoulders comparing to the SP but still, what a fantastic program and she is a real fighter for sure!
It is going to be tough getting a new LP (?) after this master piece.
You could really feel the tension when the last group stepped on the ice, they were jumping triple jumps all over the place!

I do not have much to say about Leonova's skate, I loved her music and she was doing amazingly well with a lot of pressure on her shoulders. For me, she is a little bit like Ashley (do not get me wrong, Ashley probably have better technique and flow?) but without going close to clean, they are not extremely memorable?They do not have the presence on the ice like Kostner, Asada or Suzuki (when they are on).But that of course, is only my opinion.

Mao
Needless to say, what a beautiful skater but why is she throwing medals out of the window? I understand that the 3A is important for her but not in the case when it seems like this jump is more important than winning a medal? It has not been there the whole season and I for one, do not think it is her coach decision to put them in the competition. She has it all and sometimes she gives me the impression that she do not "want" to win if the 3A is not there? I would have loved to see her on the podium, she belongs there even without any 3A!
I got teary eyed for her too especially when you know everything she has been through, I hope she will find the right motivation for next season.
Kanako never stop to surprise me even with a wonky technique. She has great presence and her programs felt beautifully choreographed this year. I think she deserved a few points more in the LP but I have not read the protocols yet.

Oh Carolina, you finally did it!!
I have never seen so many people rooting for her, gave me goosebumps really. I had Valentina Marchei's parents sitting behind me and she came up to sit with them during Carolina's skate. It was very nice to see how happy they were for Carolina, Valentina jumped up and down!
Of course I got teary eyed again! She did so well and felt like she was in a world of her own between her fantastic choreographed program to her speed and the smooth jumps. As for the double Flip, It would not be Carolina if there were no little hitch, I guess it show us her fragile side that makes her the artist we love after all?
It was a big moment and I am happy to have been a part of it.

Extremely happy for Suzuki too!!Well deserved medal and I hope she continues to Sochi?I could watch her skating without any jumps, she really has a fantastic flow over the ice and know how to perform to the audience. It is always nice to see a skater that reaches out to you, even if you are sitting in the last row!There are not many skaters that have the sense of musicality that she has.

I liked Makarova's SP very well but when she was skating her LP, I thought that the EX had already started..I think she was very nervous too and I wish that she had been able to put down a cleaner program to finish the season on a high note..

It was a great competition after all and I hope to be able to attend Worlds at some point again, it is so different to watch the skaters "live"!